


The Who Sellout AKA The Impossibly Strange of Wonderful Radio London

by Poisonedpopsicle



Category: The Who
Genre: F/M, M/M, Modern AU, Power of friendship motherfuckers, there will be crack angst smut and fluff so buckle the fuck up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2018-10-29 02:55:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10845030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poisonedpopsicle/pseuds/Poisonedpopsicle
Summary: The radio scene in London, is, well, bollocks. The BBC controls all of it, and they have a strange bias against rock and roll. The only way the British youth can listen to what they want is through pirate radio. There's only one issue. The stations they love keep getting shut down. But one man is determined to persevere: a film maker named Kit Lambert.  He plans to run the most successful pirate radio of all time. He can't do it alone, however. He employs the help of four people. There's Pete; A disillusioned college kid, Roger; A poor young man who knows he's destined for bigger and better things, John; he really really needed the money, and Keith; Who needed something to do.





	1. The Dirty Jobs

Sid's Cafe was a greasy spoon diner near the esteemed Ealing art college. Is was most frequented by the students of said art college and the fashion school down the street. So when a well dressed older gentleman arrived on one rainy Tuesday morning, it was obvious that he caused a small stir. Students looked up from their laptops, sketch books and meals to watch as he pressed a flyer to the usually empty message board by the door. And then he was gone, walking back out into the rain. The students soon lost interest, returning back to work. About ten minutes later, a talk gawky fellow, soaked to the bone and carrying a sketchbook and laptop, rushed in. He sat down at a booth in the back, drying his hands with napkins. The waitress, a pretty young thing who attended fashion school, came up to him. "Hi Pete," She said with a small smile. He looked up, "Oh, um, hey Karen." Karen took her pen and paper out, "What can I get you?" He rubbed his eyes, "a full English without beans, and the most caffeinated coffee you have." She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Pete flipped through his sketches, sighing as so many of them were smudged from the rain. "Fuck," He muttered. Karen brought him his food, then sat down in the booth with him. He smiled weakly, "what a nice surprise." Karen giggled, "my shift is over and I need breakfast. Besides, I need an excuse to sit with you." A pink blush crept onto Pete's pale cheeks, "m-me?" She nodded, smiling. "Yeah, you're everyone's favorite customer." Pete blushed brighter, and nearly spilled his coffee. Karen looked at him, "Long night?" He nodded, "Yeah. Whoever convinced me to go to art school can go to hell. On second thought, maybe it was my idea." Karen took his sketchbook and flipped through it, stopping at a drawing of a figure crucified, with long blond hair and red flowers. "You're really good," She said, looking at him. Pete scoffed, "They're all smudged." "Tell your professor it was an artistic decision," Karen told him, giggling. Pete cracked a smile, "Karen Astley you are brilliant." They ate together for a few minutes in silence, before Karen brought up the idea of plans for spring break. "I've been so swamped with work I hadn't even thought about it," Pete laughed. Karen shrugged, "Well, I'm always around if you want to do anything, like, see a movie, go eat somewhere..." Her voice trailed off as she realized Pete had stopped listening. He had noticed the flyer on the otherwise bare message board. He got up and went to inspect it. "Wonderful Radio London: The Newest Rock Station to hit the English scene," The flyer read, then went on to explain that this radio station was looking for new hires to work as DJs and help keep up the place. It next gave the email address of the man who put the flyer up as well as his phone number. This was exactly what Pete needed. Some time away from school, and a chance to work on his other passion, music. Pete pulled his phone out and snapped a picture. He returned to the booth, where Karen waited. "I know what I'm doing this spring break," He said with a smile.

* * *

"You're what," John Entwistle asked in shock, showing more emotion than usual. His girlfriend of a year and a half, Alison Wise, was standing in the bathroom doorway of their shared flat. "I'm...pregnant," She said, the words barely making out of her lips, "I don't wanna get rid of it John, I couldn't live with myself." John breathed out of his nose, seeming to return to his stoic self. "Alright...we'll keep the kid." His grey-blue eyes widened as he realized all the problems that a baby would cause. "We can barely afford a baby, we can't even afford this flat. I'm a fucking tax clerk. You're a secretary! Oh god, we'll live on the street. Our kid is gonna grow up on the street." John's rant was in his traditional stoic style, which upset Alison more. He only stopped when he noticed that Alison was crying. He wiped her tears away, "Shh, don't cry. I'm sorry, I'm just nervous. I'll handle all of the financial crap, I just want you to be alright. I just want my two babies to be happy." Alison nodded, "We...We should get married." If John said that didn't catch him off guard, he would be a bigger liar than Pinocchio. "Married?" Alison looked at him, "We're having a baby. We should be married, don't you think?" John swallowed hard, "Alright, lets go." He linked his arm with hers, and an hour later, they were seen as Mr. and Mrs. Entwistle in the eyes of British law. As John walked his new bride home, he bumped into a smartly dressed but obviously nervous young man holding a stack of papers. "Shite,'" The young man muttered as he went to pick up the flyers. John and Alison went to help him. John looked at one of the flyers in his hand. It read, "Wonderful Radio London: The Newest Rock Station to hit the English scene." It described a job that sounded much better than being a fucking tax clerk. " 'Ow much does it pay," He asked. The young man shrugged, "You'd have to ask my boss. His number's on the flyer." John nodded, "Thanks, mate." They went their separate ways. John kissed Alison's forehead, "Baby, I think that bloke might have just saved our asses."

* * *

"You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me," Roger said, looking down at his paycheck. His salary at the sheet metal factory was cut once again. His family was already well below the poverty line. His job was the only source of income, besides his mother's monthly disability check and his father's check for serving in the military. Roger had mouths to feed, god damn it! He ripped his check in two. Was it the smartest move? No it was not. But Roger was pissed, and when Roger was pissed, he didn't really think about logic or reason. He marched down to the boss' office, banging his fists against the door. "Wot the 'ell is going on out there," The boss demanded from the inside. Roger burst in. "Wot is it, Daltrey," The boss sighed. Roger showed him the remains of his paycheck. "I got two kid sisters, a disabled mum, and a veteran da," Roger spat, "I gotta take care of them oll, and this is the shit I'm paid! I work 'arder than anyone else 'ere!" The boss seemed unfazed by Roger's yelling, "Look boy, I'm cutting everyone's pay. Gotta make room in the budget." Roger narrowed his eyes, "That ain't fair! We're all bustin' our asses for you!" The boss shrugged, "Ya can deal with it or ya can leave. I don't give a fuck either way." Roger threw the ripped pieces of paycheck in his face and left the factory. He walked home in the pouring rain, the dust and dirt of the factory clumping itself into his flaxen hair. Roger would usually go to the pub afterwards, but he really wasn't in the mood for festivities that evening. He trudged to his home. "Is that you, Harry," His mother's voice called from upstairs. "No mum, its me." Roger could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke again, "Roger darling, how was work?" Roger paused for a minute, "it was alright mum." Roger went into the kitchen to get the dinner his mother always left for him. His sister Carol was sitting at the table, doing her homework. Roger was proud she was so studious but always kicked himself for not following through with school.  "You lied to mum," She said simply. "I did not," Roger argued. Carol shook her head, "you always tell mum work was shite. But you said it was good. What happened?" Roger sighed, "He cut 75% of my pay so I quit." Carol's eyes widened,"are you dumb, Roger? Because that was fucking dumb." Roger rolled his eyes, "I had to. It wouldn't cover rent or the bills, and mum and dad's checks wont come until the end of the month. We would be evicted by Friday." Carol looked down. Roger lifted her chin, "hey, I'll find something better, I'll do it quickly too. Now finish your homework." He went upstairs to his room, grabbing his laptop that took two years to save for. He logged on to Facebook, seeing if anyone was online. From the otherside of the wall, his sister Ann blasted Herman's Hermits. He knocked on that wall, "turn tha' shite down, Annie!" Ann's response was to turn it up louder. He rolled his eyes when a page caught his eye. "Wonderful Radio London." He clicked on it and scrolled through. It was some pirate station, looking for employees. He smiled softly to himself, going to message whoever ran the page. 

* * *

 "Mrs. Moon, I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can really do about your son," The headmaster said over the phone to Kit Moon. Her 17 year old son Keith was listening into the conversation. He didn't get kicked out of school like they were trying to say. No, Keith walked freely out of that hell hole and nothing could or would stop him. "Thank you sir," Mrs. Moon said slowly, hanging up the phone. Keith sighed. He knew his mother loved him dearly, but didn't really understand him. That was okay, because Keith didn't really understand himself either. He braced himself as he heard her soft footsteps coming up the stairs. She knocked on his door. "Come in," He said, sitting up. Kit entered, sitting on the edge of his bed. "So the headmaster called..." Keith sat up from his bed, "I know. I know why too. I blew up one of the toilets on the second floor." Kit gave him the most heartbreaking of looks, "Why?" He shrugged, "I got bored and I did it. School's rubbish anyway. I'm not going anywhere in life anyway." It pained Keith to see his beloved mother on the verge of tears. The poor woman always saw so much potential in him, and here he was wiping it all away. He sighed, "I didn't mean it like that, mum." She brushed his hair out of his eyes, "Dear, this is the third school you've been kicked out of. What are you going to do?" He sighed, "I'll get a job. Don't tell dad that I got kicked out yet, not until I got a stable job." Kit sighed, not really believing that he could do it. Keith got up. "Where are you going," She asked. Keith rubbed his eyes, "Out." Before she could question him, Keith was gone, walking up and down the streets of Wembley. He went into his favorite pub and got well sloshed, before wandering out into the streets again.  An older gentleman was wandering the opposite way. "Ey, buddy, you got a light," Keith called to him, holding up his pack of cigarettes. The man obliged, before asking him a question: "Hey, how old are you, son?" Keith laughed, "I'm 17. Why, you hittin' on me?" The man and Keith both laughed. "No," The man said, "I'm looking for workers." Keith's ears perked up, "Yeh?" The man nodded, handing him paper work for a place called Wonderful Radio London. This was Keith's chance. In drunken excitement, Keith grabbed the man's face and kissed him. "Thanks mate," He ran off. 


	2. Wonderful Radio London Reminds You to go to the Church of Your Choice

The SS Lambert pulled up to the docks of London two days before our four heroes contacted its owner, Kit Lambert.  It was the belief among Lambert and his crew that if they ran their radio station on a ship far into the English Channel, it would be harder to get caught. His younger, more anxious, assistant Chris Stamp would've preferred to stay on land, but he was so devoted to Kit he did almost anything without question. The day Pete, Roger, Keith, and John were set to arrive, Kit was standing on the bow of the ship, looking at the city he felt he owned. "Look at this," He said to Chris, "Look at what we're gonna do." Chris smiled, "We're just making a radio station, Kit." Kit threw his arm around Chris, "Chris, we're giving the people what they want. I say we're doing a service to every young citizen of England." Chris laughed, trying to make it less obvious that he was blushing. "Those new employees are coming," Kit said, "Get things ready?" Chris nodded and went to do what he was told.

The four young men had congregated to the docks shortly after Chris and Kit's conversation. Roger looked up at the ship, quite amazed. Pete came running up to him. "Here for the radio thing," Roger asked. Pete nodded, catching his breath, "You think its on that ship?" Roger nodded, "Most of those pirate radio places are." They were soon approached by Keith and John, who met each other shortly before at a pub they were having lunch in. "So we're all here for this radio thing," Keith asked. The others nodded. Kit walked down the gangplank, "So you must be the boys?" They all turned to him, "Yeah, and you're Kit," Pete asked. Kit nodded, ushering them on board quickly. He walked them through the ship. "Job's simple. Two of you will take the afternoon shift, the other two will take the all night shift. You don't gotta talk too much, so don't worry if you ain't too charismatic. Just play music," Kit explained, "You like rock and roll?" They all nodded. "Good, now I'll have my assistant Chris show you the rest of the way." He began to walk away. "Wait," Roger said, stopping him, "We never really discussed payment. Even in my interview." Kit smiled, "You ask the right questions Mr. Daltrey. Does 15 pounds per show sound right to you? I'll throw in extra if you help keep up the place." Roger nodded, visibly shocked. It was much better than the shite he was paid at the factory. Pete stepped forward next. "Hey, um, Kit? I'm all for pirate radio. I dug Radio Caroline before they shut it down. But this is super illegal. You can get arrested for this, you know that, right?" Kit sighed and placed his hand on Pete's shoulder. "Of course I know that, Peter. But I don't care. The kids want rock and roll and they aren't getting it. The government declared it to be immoral. Why? Because it told the truth. The truth about love, sex, politics, drugs, society. They placate us with their big band and pop crap. But people are wising up. They know whats being done. Since the government ain't giving the truth to these kids, I will. I'm doing this because its freedom. Its the future." Pete nodded, wide eyed. He had just become Kit's most devoted disciple. Keith looked at John and Roger as Kit began to walk off, "This guy's off his fuckin rocker." The other two nodded, before following Kit and Pete.

Kit took them down to what looked like living quarters. He unlocked a small room with two bunk beds and some trunks. "Wait, you want us to sleep on the ship," John asked, speaking for the first time that day. "Well, yes," Kit said, "This all requires 24/7 work. We usually dock on weekends, so if you gotta visit anyone, you can do it then. We got service and wifi anyway, if you gotta make calls. No girls, by the way. They're far too distracting." John's eyes almost popped out of his skull, "No, no you can't. Can't my wife come with me?" Kit looked at the others, "Didn't I just say no girls." John grabbed Kit's arm, "Please, man, she's pregnant. I don't wanna leave her alone." Kit looked into John's pleading eyes and felt sympathy. "Alright, fine, but she's gotta pull some weight too." John sighed with relief. Kit went to show him a more private room.

Afterwards he took them to the galley, where they could meet the rest of the crew. There were the two morning hosts, Peter and Gordon, who were so rarely seen apart, everyone just started calling them Peter Gordon. There was the guy who drove the boat and did most of the maintenance, Arthur B. Everyone thought he was a bit creepy, but got on fine with him. Then there was Chris, the nervous assistant devoted to Kit. The one that stirred our four boys up, however, was the only American and female in the room. Lesley Gore was her name, and she helped out in production, and also cooked. "I thought you said no girls, Kit," Roger asked. Lesley chimed in, "No, its cool. I'm not into guys." The quartet responded in unison "right on." Kit patted their backs, "I'll let you all get acquainted. " And like that, he disappeared into his office. Pete, Roger, Keith, and John all sat down at a table. Lesley went to go make lunch. "So how fucking mad is this guy," Roger asked suddenly. Arthur B was the first to respond, "You know the line between madness and genius? He skips rope with that line." One half of Peter Gordon was the next to respond, "Mad as a fucking swan but he'll treat you like his own." Lesley came out with the food, "He's crazy. Toys in the attic, away with the fairies crazy." Chris piped up, "Shut up, all of ya! He's not crazy, he's brilliant." Roger just smiled, "I like this guy already."


	3. Wonderful Radio London, Woopee!

The sound of The Kinks, an up and coming rock band, filled the SS Lambert on one Friday afternoon. Roger and Pete were sitting in the makeshift studio used to broadcast Wonderful Radio London. They wound up with the afternoon shift. The song ended soon, and Rog was on the mic. "That was Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks! Requests will be open all day! Now, 'ere's a new one from The Beatles: I saw 'er Standing There!" He turned the song on, turned the mic off, and sat back. "This ain't so bad," He told Pete, who was hunched over his laptop. "I'm sorry, what," He asked, looking up. Roger sighed, "I said working 'ere wasn't so bad. You shoulda seen the shit 'ole I was workin' in before." Pete laughed, "How bad?" Roger explained the whole incident with his pay being cut. "Holy shit," Pete said. Roger asked, "Where were you working?" Pete showed him his laptop, "art school." Roger nodded, "Never got into art or any of that. 'Cept for music. I was too busy workin' and keepin' my arse out of prison." Pete cocked his head, "Prison?" Roger began to explain what life was like in Shepherd's Bush: "its a shit show. Almost as bad as one of them slums in Scotland. All my mates got arrested. When I found out about this place, one of 'em was 'iding under my bed." Pete nodded, unsure of what to say. He was hoping to make friends with Roger, but he felt a little intimidated by him.  He grew up in Acton for Christ's sake. Before either of them could say anything else, the song ended and Pete turned on the mic quickly. "That was I Saw Her Standing There, by The Beatles," He announced, before looking at his phone, "We got a request on Twitter, from @JackieR! Here's Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane! Just for you Jackie!" And with that, the mic was turned off, and the pair desperately tried to make friends with each other once again. 

At 6 PM exactly, it switched to the all night show, John and Keith's slot. They were both suited for it, as they were both nocturnal creatures. Alison stayed up with them. She couldn't bear to be in bed without John. "Hello all you night owls out there in England," Keith boomed into the mic, "I'm Moonie, and the bugger next to me is," he paused for a moment, trying to think of a name for John, "The Quiet One! And we're with you all night! Requests are always open, but I'm going to start with a favorite of mine. This is Wouldn't it Be Nice, by The Beach Boys!" Keith swung around to John, letting his feet rest in John's lap. "You're lucky you get a damn private room, mate." John cocked his head, "You don't like the other two?" Keith scoffed, "I like them just fine. But do you know what its like bunking with Bleeding Heart Jones and McVicar Junior? It ain't fun." John snorted, "Okay, I'll give ya that." Keith air drummed along with the music. Alison knocked on the door. John opened it a crack, "Yes dear?" Alison asked if either of them wanted a drink. "Boy Howdy," They said in unison before looking at each other.

"You like Boy Howdy," Keith asked, "Its my favorite beer!"

"Mine too," John said. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Favorite way to greet a cowboy," John said.

"Boy Howdy," They said in unison.

"Favorite Country rock band," Keith said.  
  
"Boy Howdy," They said again.   
  
"Favorite way to add emphasis to a sentence without saying fuck," John asked.  
  
"Boy Howdy!"

"Holy shit," John said, "where have you been all my life?" Keith shrugged, "Getting kicked out of school." They both laughed. Alison rolled her eyes and called them weirdos, before going to get beer for them. The song ended. Keith turned the mic on. "That was Wouldn't It Be Nice. Now, we're going to get a little heavy here with Break On Through by the Doors. Don't worry, its the uncensored version! She get high!" John turned the song on and the mics off. They spent the rest of the night jamming to music, making fun of politicians and celebrities, and complaining about life. "You know what Moon, you're alright," John said at the end of their shift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a AVPS reference because I suck


	4. Our Love Was

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Roger give Pete some advice on love. Kit and the others realize the legal danger they could be in.

Two months after the first broad casts of Wonderful Radio London, they were an underground hit. All the hippest teens and young adults subscribed to station. Some of them dug the afternoon spot, with Roger's cockney wisdom, and Pete's sardonic wit. Others were disciples of the all nighter show, with Keith and John's absurd senses of humor. Karen Astley; the young, sharp as a tack, and beautiful waitress, was one of their biggest fans. She was particularly fond of the afternoon show. She sent Pete a text saying how great she thought it was. Pete, clueless to her affections towards him, sent an awkward message back:  
  
**< msg: Karen to Pete>** You sound so groovy on the radio :)

**< msg: Pete to Karen>** Gee, thanks. You're real sexy.

**< msg: Pete to Karen>** *SWEET! I meant sweet.

**< msg: Pete to Karen>** I mean, I don't want you to think I'm a creep or anything and girls are so much more than looks, you especially. I mean, you are sexy but its a really fuck boy thing to do and I don't want you to think I'm a fuck boy. Sorry. :(  
  
Roger glanced over his shoulder at breakfast, reading the text. "Pete. You're my mate, and I can say this in complete confidence. That's fuckin' pathetic." Pete blushed and rolled his eyes. "What is," Keith asked through a mouthful of Lucky Charms cereal. "Pete's textin' a bird," Roger explained. Before Pete could protest, Keith took the phone from him, scrolling through the messages. "You sound like a bleeding creep," He said. Pete took his phone back and quickly pocketed it. "Fuck you all, like you have the best luck with girls." Roger looked at him, "I lost my virginity when I was 15." Keith added that he lost his when he was 14. "Its not just about virginity," Pete sputtered. They began to list the girlfriends they'd have. Roger paused in the middle of his extraordinarily long list when he noticed Pete's growing upset. "You've never been with anyone," He asked, sympathetically. Pete shook his head, "I had a boyfriend in the 8th grade, but all he did was hold my hand. Never even kissed me. And I lost my virginity to a girl at my school. But I never, what do you call it, 'went steady' with anyone." Keith furrowed his brows, "what's the bloke's name? The one that never kissed ya." Pete turned to him, "Mick. Mick Jagger." Keith and Roger's eyes nearly popped out of their skulls. "As in Rolling Stones Mick Jagger," Roger asked. Pete nodded, not seeing all the fuss. "How big was his cock," Roger asked, curious and jealous of Mick, who seemed to get more girls than him. "I never seen it," Pete told him. "Hypothetically," Keith asked. Pete became flustered again, "can we just get back to you two making fun of me for being clueless about talking to girls? Mick and I ended on bad terms." They both sighed and agreed to drop it. "So who's this bird you're talking to," Roger asked. "A friend of mine," Pete explained, "her name's Karen." Roger asked if he fancied her. Pete nodded, "but she'd never go out with a guy like me." Keith smacked his shoulder, "You got Mick Jagger when you were fourteen! You can get this girl, I promise. Lemme see her." Pete showed Keith a picture of the two of them at a Halloween party. Both Keith and Roger's eyes nearly popped out of their skulls. "She's out of everyone on this boat's league," Roger exclaimed. Keith nodded in agreement, "I don't even know if she's human. She might be an angel." Pete pulled his phone away, protective of Karen even when she was not there. He definitely didn't want them leering at her. "Do you guys have any advice for me," He asked them. Roger nodded, "Just, don't text her...any of that shit. Just say, oops, meant sweet. And don't try so hard." Keith nodded in agreement, "nudes too." Roger shook his head, "only when the two of you are already screwing and she's cool with it." Pete nodded, taking mental notes as the two prattled on about how to treat a lady. His phone buzzed. It was a text from Karen.

**< msg: Karen to Pete>** Lmao its cool. You're sexy too ;)  
  
Pete read it aloud, wide eyed. Roger sighed and took the phone from him.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Kit and Chris were in the makeshift office, pouring over newspapers. The headline was something about the Moors murders or whatever, but the pair didn't really care about the headlines, they cared about what was under the headlined stories. " **Marine Broadcasting Offences Act to be More Strictly Enforced** ," it read in the boldest, blackest letters. To them it felt like a death sentence. They called Arthur B, Lesley, and Alison into the office. Kit held up the newspaper. Arthur squinted, then snatched it from him, "What the hell does this mean?" Chris groaned, "it means we're done for." Kit began to explain further, "what it means is since we're broadcasting without a license, they'll shut us down when the stronger laws come into place. We'll all pay fines or get arrested or worse." Alison's eyes widened, "They can't do that! We aren't doing anything wrong! We're just a music station!" Now, Alison wasn't an idiot. She knew what they were doing was illegal. She just believed it shouldn't have been. Kit nodded solemnly, "I know, Mrs. Entwistle. But the laws don't go into place for another two months. I have a plan." "What plan," Arthur B snapped, "We've got two months." Kit looked at him, a knowing smile spread across his aging face, "I know. But we aren't gonna tell the boys that. We make sure these are the best two months of their careers. We'll make enough money to pay for fines or barristers or whatever, and we'll all be in the clear. We'll see what's what after." Lesley bit her nails, "We have to tell them, they're employees too. And they aren't doing it because they need broadcasting experience! They're doing because they need money. Or something to keep them off the streets. Or from going insane." Lesley had picked up a lot from the boys' conversations. Kit nodded, "I know. I know. I'm not telling them because I don't want to worry them." Chris stood up suddenly, "Lets do it." They all looked at him as if he was crazy. "I say we do it," Chris repeated, "Why do we gotta go down without a fight? What are we doing that's wrong? We're a god damned music station!" Kit put his hand on Chris's shoulder, "I knew one of you would come through."


	5. I guess you know what makes a party go

"I'm bored," Pete whined, pulling the blanket from his bed over his head. Roger, Keith, John, and Alison were hunched over Roger's old laptop. "Shhhh," John said, "The Stones released a new song." This immediately piqued Pete's interest. "Play it for me," He said, "What's it called?" Roger pressed a button on his laptop and the song, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." He listened carefully to the song, like he always did. He was listening for any clues that he might be an inspiration for the lyrics. Something that always made him paranoid.  John spoke up, "I like it. I think that'll be the first song we play tonight. What d'ya think, Moon?" Keith nodded, "Hell yeah." Pete shrugged, "its okay." Keith and Roger each gave him a knowing look. Roger looked at his phone, "Oh shit, its almost noon. Time for our block, Pete." He nodded, getting out of bed and following Roger into the studio. "Do you think that song was about me," Pete asked suddenly. "Do I think the twenty something Mick Jagger wrote a song about the boyfriend he had when he was fourteen years old," Roger laughed, "No, Pete, I don't think its about you." Pete shook his head, "He's an artist. We hold onto things for long periods of time." Roger laughed again, putting his hand on Pete's shoulder, "you think too much, mate."

As they entered the studio, Kit and Chris were speaking. "I was just thinking, it could be like, a benefactors' ball.Our top subscribers and the bands that pay to get on the station. The kids deserve a break. We've been working them to the bone. We can do it this weekend, when we dock in London," Chris insisted. Roger interrupted them, "A party?" Kit nodded, "This one here is trying to convince me to have a party." Pete nodded eagerly, "lets do it! We can announce it today on the show. I can ask Karen to come. We could have a contest for tickets." Kit sighed, "Alright, we'll have the party. But I'm leaving the three of you in charge of it." He left to go take care of some other business. Chris ran his fingers through his hair, "Alright, I'm gonna go start making advertisements and tickets and things. Just...make up some competition to get the kids excited about the party. I got a lot to do." He rushed towards the same direction as Kit.

* * *

"That was Time of the Season by The Zombies," Roger announced after a song, "and it was requested by @KimmyK on twitter! That was for you Kimmy K." Pete got on the mic, "Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a Wonderful Radio London first for you. We're throwing together a little shindig, for this weekend. A celebration of the fact that we haven't been shut down just yet. Now, all of our top subscribers are invited, as well as all the bands we play here. Now, if you want to join us, we're holding a little competition for two tickets to the party. Today only. Now, the rules are simple, we're gonna play three songs, and you have to guess the common theme between them. 25th caller wins." Roger got on the mic quickly, "and ladies, Keith and I are single, and looking for dates, so, y'know, call."

The three songs they played were Good Vibrations, I Saw Her Standing There, and For Your Love. The theme was beautiful girls (they didn't have much time to decide.) Plenty of people called but they all called too early and a lot of them got the theme wrong. Finally, the 25th call came in. Roger got the phone quickly, putting it on speaker. "Hello," He said. A girl's voice answered, "hi there, is this Pete and Roger?"

"yes it is, who is this."  
  
"Um, Jackie. and My best friend Kim is on the line too."

Another girl's voice emerged, "Hi there."  
  
"Hello Kim, Jackie. Are you girls aware that you're the 25th callers?"  
  
They giggled, "Yes!"

"Guess the theme and you win the tickets."

"Is it, pretty girls?"  
  
"Correct!"  
  
Excited squeals and giggles erupted from the other side of the line. "Does that mean you and Keith are our dates?"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one's kind of short. The next three are gonna really set the plot in motion.


	6. "I told you this was a bad idea," Kit to Chris probably (PT 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gratuitous sexy time chapter aka everyone gets laid.

Alison Entwistle stood in front of Roger and Keith, straightening out their clothes. "You two better treat those girls right tonight, boys," She warned, "they're expecting gentlemen." Roger nodded, snickering,  "We'll be complete gentlemen, Ali." She pulled his shirt, "I'm serious, Roger. They seem like sweet girls." He lifted his hands up, as if in defense, "We will, we will." The trio, along with John, made their way onto the main deck, where the party would be taking place. Now, the SS Lambert was no ocean liner, it was a small cargo ship that Kit had purchased when he was younger. But the crew had worked hard all day to make it presentable for a party. Now they were docked in London Harbor, a half hour to go until the party. Arthur B came onto the deck, "Um, Roger, Keith. Those girls are here." Behind them walked in two girls: One in a white dress, brunette with a bobbed haircut, the other in a pink dress, her blonde hair flowing. Keith grabbed Roger's arm. "They're...fucking beautiful." Roger nodded, seemingly in awe of the brunette girl. The girls excitedly approached. The brunette spoke first, "Hi, I'm Jacqueline. You can call me Jackie though, everyone does." Roger smiled his trademark million watt grin. "Roger Daltrey, pleased to meet you." He took her hand and kissed the top of it. The blonde tossed her hair back, as if expecting Keith to treat her the same way. Keith, instead, wrapped his arms around her waist, dipped her, and smashed his lips on her, before pulling both her and himself up. Her eyes widened, with both amusement and bewilderment. He had definitely made a first impression. "You must be Keith," she laughed, "I'm Kim." Keith smiled wide, "pleasure to meet you, love." As they made their interactions, Chris and Kit opened the door to the bands and fans that paid good money to get into the party.

* * *

 

Pete was dressed sharply, waiting by the door for Karen, with a bouquet. He had asked her the day before to come, free of charge. He saw seas of beautiful boys and girls board the ship. None of them interested him. He was waiting for Karen. As people got on, the chance of showing her showing up seemed to get slimmer and slimmer. Pete sighed, turning away. Soon, he heard heels running up the metal gangplank. He turned around and there Karen was, standing there in of those new cellophane dresses that were oh so fashionable. "Sorry I'm late," She said. "Its okay," Pete smiled, taking her hand. He led her through the crowd of hip kids. Once they were in the party, he presented Karen with the bouquet. She smiled, taking a rose and placing it behind his ear.  He blushed like mad when she kissed his cheek. "Wanna go dance," She asked. He nodded eagerly, taking her hand and bringing her onto the dance floor.

* * *

 

Roger was already on the dance floor with Jackie. They were pressed up against each other, her arms around his shoulders, his hands around her waist.  Beside them, John and Alison were in the same position, looking completely in love. They were all swinging to a fast paced band called Steppenwolf.  "You can really move," He said to Jackie, seeing and feeling her hips moving. He couldn't help but admire her beauty. That cream colored skin, those smoke grey eyes, and those dark locks. She was quite gorgeous, and Roger wondered why she even chose him in the first place. She was out of everybody in the room's league. He wondered what she was like as a person. They hadn't gotten the chance to talk yet, as when the party started she wanted to dance. But he planned to learn more about the intriguing and bewitching girl in his arms. "Thanks," Jackie giggled, making him blush. She kissed his cheek, swaying with him to the music. Every once and a while they would grind up against each other as they danced, earning blushes and knowing grins from both of them. He twirled her around, watching her white dress swish. He pulled her back in and impulsively kissed her on the mouth.

Keith and Kim avoided the chaos of the dance floor to make their own mischief. "I'm going to make sure you never forget this date," He told her, taking her hand and bringing her to where he, Roger, and Pete were bunking. Kim assumed he was looking for condoms as he rummaged around under his bed. She started to unbutton her dress when Keith turned around. "No! I wasn't thinking that! Not yet," He said, holding up a box of cherry bombs. Kim laughed, blushing, "sorry." Keith wrapped his arm around her, 'its alright. Maybe we'll do some of that later. Now, let me show you what we're going to do." He took her off the boat, to a nearby restaurant. "What are we doing," Kim asked. "My dear girl, we're going to blow up the toilets in there," Keith said, pointing at the restaurant. Instead of looking at him strangely or asking if that was legal, Kim had the same mischievous look on her face. Together, they walked hand in hand into the restaurant. Minutes later, they were chased out by the owner after Kim had blown up the toilets in the ladies room and Keith blew up the toilets in the men's room. They ran back onto the SS Lambert. Keith smiled at his companion, "why don't we go do what you thought we were going to do?"

* * *

 

 "No way, you read it too," Pete asked Karen as they danced around. They were really learning a lot about each other that night. Pete learned that Karen's goal was to be a successful fashion designer, she was very well read, and she loved black and white movies. Karen learned that Pete had been interested in the arts since he was a child, his home life was something he'd rather not talk about, and he really wasn't sure what he was going to do with his life. She sweetly told him that most people didn't. That it was okay. "Of course I read Clockwork Orange," She giggled, "everyone has." He nodded, "Yeah, that's right. Lots of people do. Hey, can I tell you something?" She nodded. "The only reason I even come to Sid's anymore is so I can see you," He murmured, looking away. Karen blushed, "The only reason I still work there is because you come there in the morning." Pete turned back to her, kissing her hard. She tasted like peach lip gloss, summer rain, and desire. He hadn't been with anybody in a long long time, and the only person he wanted to be with was Karen. Karen's hands cupped his face as he brought her close to him. "l-lets go to my room," Pete murmured in her ear. Karen nodded slowly. Pete took her hand, bringing her to the bunks. Once there, Karen pressed him against the wall, kissing his jaw and neck as she lowered herself to her knees. "Baby, what are you doing," He murmured. She brought her finger to his lips, "shhh, I wanna take care of you." He watched as she took off his belt, lowering his pants and boxer shorts. His erection sprung free, and she giggled at how eager he was. His hand automatically went to her hair as she wrapped her mouth around his cock. He groaned. She swirled her tongue around the head, licking off beads of pre-cum that already materialized. "Jesus Christ," he mumbled, tugging on her hair. She took this as a signal to suck harder, bobbing her head up and down. He was rather large, and it was a wonder she could get him down her throat without choking too much. Their eyes met for a moment, and his eyes were clouded with lust and admiration for the girl on her knees for him. She flattened her tongue against the underside of his dick, and began to lowly hum, sending waves of vibrations. By this point, he was a moaning mess, but that sent him over the edge. He spilled into her mouth, and she swallowed it all, pulling away to wipe her mouth. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Bloody fuckin' hell."

* * *

 

Roger had Jackie in his arms all night. Whether it was when they danced or kissed or spoke. The girl remained a mystery to him, and she seemed to prefer it that way. She let a few small details slip by, like the fact that she was some kind of dancer, she lived in relative proximity to Roger's family, and she was familiar with a _lot_ of boys. The little tidbits of information she gave baited him to keep asking her questions, but she was tight-lipped. She was also a god damn tease. Every once in a while she would grind up against Roger as he danced with her, leaving him semi-hard the whole party. Finally, he had enough of it. Once he knew Karen and Pete had vacated the premises, he tossed Jackie over his shoulder and brought her to the bunks. Jackie giggled and pretended to struggle the whole way. He tossed her onto Keith's bed, then took off his shirt, revealing his wonderfully sculpted body. She bit her lip, watching him. He climbed on top of her, roughly pulling down her white dress, pleased to find that she wasn't wearing a bra. He began an assault on her breasts, kissing, nipping, and sucking at the sensitive flesh. She whimpered under him. He hooked his thumb in her panties and pulled them down to her knees. His fingers made their way to her center, circling her clit until he plunged two of them into her. It earned a feral moan from Jackie. He pumped them in and out of her with a delicate speed. He wanted to make sure she was wet enough for the main event. Jackie squirmed under him, cursing and whining his name. When she declared she was about to cum, he took his fingers away. She pouted. "it's alright, love," He murmured as he lowered his pants and underwear. His cock stood at attention, and she couldn't help but stare. Before she knew it, he pushed himself into her roughly. They both moaned. He hammered in and out if her. "Fuck," She cried out, her nails digging into his shoulders. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing and biting. He left love bites all over her. She whined, swore, and moaned under him. "I'm so close, Roger. Please, I gotta cum," She cried out. He pushed all the way into her and she came in seconds. Once she had rode her orgasm out, he pulled out and came onto her chest. Roger rolled over and laid next to her as they both caught their breath. "Jackie Rickman, I'm going to figure you out," he declared. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its a 3 parter! SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUT


	7. "I told you this was a bad idea," Kit to Chris (PT 2)

While our four heroes were off to get their rocks off (John and Alison had sneaked off a while after Roger and Jackie), Chris was standing towards the edge of the dance floor, watching the party go on. Lesley came to bring him a drink. "What's the matter," She asked, "you've been a wallflower all night." He stared ahead. Lesley turned to look at whatever he was looking at. Kit was flirting with a roughish looking young lad, just slightly older than Chris. She looked at him, "you're jealous!" He scoffed, "No I'm not. Just making sure he wont steal anything." She rolled her eyes, "You're jealous." He mumbled that he was slightly jealous. "I didn't know you were gay."

"Its something I like to keep private."

"Fair enough."

"It doesn't matter anyway. He thinks of me almost like a son."

"Maybe he has a daddy kink!"

"Don't be disgusting!"

"Sorry, sorry," Lesley laughed, "but seriously, just tell him. He probably already knows anyway." Chris nodded, "You're right." He took the drink and downed it, going to approach Kit. Before he could, Kit placed his arm around the lad and brought him to his cabin. Lesley appeared next to Chris, "ice fucking cold, man."

Pete, on the other hand, was having the night of his life. He had the most beautiful girl in the world in his arms, and they were dancing wildly to a band called the 13th Floor Elevators. Two boys who were tall for their age approached him, pushing each other out of the way. One had a mop of brown curls a top his head, and the other had slicked black hair. "What can I do for you two," Pete asked. The black haired one spoke up first. "Hey, mate," He smiled awkwardly, "I've got this band, and I'd love it if you put our music on your show. The name's Joe, by the way. Joe Mellor. My mates call me strummer though." The curly haired boy shoved poor Joe Mellor Strummer out of the way, "I'm Steve! I got a band too, can you put ours on your show too?" Pete chuckled as they both handed them tapes, "sure, sure, if it means that much to you. What's the names of your bands?" 

"The Clash," Joe said.

Steve smiled proudly, "Kutie Jones and his Sex Pistols. I'm Kutie Jones."

pete cocked his head, "wouldn't The Sex Pistols be a better name?" Steve nodded, "yeah, it is. You can bill us as that." Pete took the tapes from them. "Listen in next show, boys." They looked at each other in amazement. "We will!" They ran off. Karen smiled, "that was sweet." Pete kissed her, "They probably have some new sound that'll make everyone go wild."

 The party went on for hours. Our four heroes and friends danced around, drinks in hand, avoiding making arses of themselves. They switched partners frequently, the guys danced with each other's girls, they danced with each other, and the girls danced with each other. Everyone was in love with each other and with being alive. There was no way this night could've gone wrong. 

Until there was.

 

"Hey, Um, Pete," Roger murmured in his ear, "ex-boyfriend just walked in." Pete turned around, and standing in the door way with a beautiful blonde singer, was _**Mick. Fucking. Jagger.**_  


	8. "I told you this would be a bad idea," Kit to Chris, probably (PT 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No shade at Jagger. Just wanted to make him a bitch. Also, trigger warning for Mick's predatory behavior.

Well, shit. Pete didn't want to deal with Mick that night. He was having a good time. He ducked by a group of people, praying that Mick didn't see him. He did. Pete gulped as he felt a hand roughly pat his shoulder. He wheeled around to find Mick, with the same blond girl on his arm, smiling a haughty smile. Pete forced a grin, "f-funny meeting you here." Mick nodded, "funny meeting you here too. Marianne, this is Pete, an old....school chum. Why don't you go get some drinks for the three of us." Marianne eyed Mick suspiciously before disappearing to get the drinks. "Sorry, she doesn't know I'm bi yet." Pete rolled his eyes, "We were basically school chums anyway." He felt bad for Marianne. Mick wasn't the dating type.  Mick laughed, "School chums don't hold hands and kiss each other's cheek, Pete." Pete scoffed. "You're an asshole," He said before walking away. Mick just chuckled again before going to find his girlfriend.

He didn't bump into Mick for another couple of hours. He almost forgot Mick was there. he and Karen continued to kiss and dance and talk. He and his friends continued to bullshit and hang around. It was complete bliss. A massive game of drunk Jenga had broken out on the main deck and Pete was winning. He felt an arm go around his shoulders. Mick. "Can I speak with you for a moment," He asked politely. Pete looked at Roger, trying to silently ask him for help. Roger pulled him aside, "holler for us if you need us." Pete nodded, fidgeting as he followed Mick to the stern. "I wanted to apologize," Mick said, "I treated you like shit when we dated, and I treated you like shit before. You're right, I am an asshole." Pete became less tense. He was...apologizing? Mick wasn't one to apologize. He was one to blame his actions on others. "It's...fine," Pete said,"We were kids then. We didn't understand our feelings." Mick's smile became more lecherous, "We understand them better now." Pete nodded in agreement, thinking Mick was referring to Marianne and Karen. That idea changed when Mick grabbed his shirt and placed a hard, sloppy kiss on the corner of Pete's mouth. Pete pushed away immediately. "What the fuck, mate?!" Mick just kept smiling, "Oh come on. We're older now. Don't you wanna mess around." Pete put some distance between them, "Yeah, I do. But I don't want to mess around with you, Mick." Mick closed that distance quickly, "You used to. Come on, Marianne wont know. The girl you've been slobbering on all night wont know. Just a little quick one. Wont it be fun?" He palmed Pete's crotch through his trousers. Pete pushed him away, "Fucking stop, mate." Mick tried again and Pete punched him in his already fat lips. He screamed for his friends. People rushed over to see the commotion. John, Keith, and Roger pushed past the small crowd to aid Pete. Mick was holding his face, "Your psycho friend just assaulted me!" Roger narrowed his eyes, quickly figuring out what happened. He stepped to Mick and looked him in the eye. "Look mate, I wanna make this easy for you. Just take your bird and get off the boat. There wont be any trouble." Keith stood next to Roger, "We'll even still play your band on the radio. Just get off the boat and don't come back. Or else." Mick smirked, not thinking they would do anything, "But I just got here! Its that creepy sod's that oughta go. I feel bad for his bird, he's lookin' for others behind her back." This infuriated Roger, and lunged on Mick, unleashing punches and kicks on him. Mick was quickly downed and Roger kept hitting and hitting until Keith and Pete pulled him off. "You'll kill him mate," Pete said. Roger and Mick were both bloodied messes. John stood Mick up. Kit and Chris pushed their way through the crowd, wanting to see what happened. "I'll ruin you all," Mick shouted, "I'll get this shit show of a station shut down!" John ignored him as he dragged him through the party then off the boat. Marianne was allowed to stay, but the events that preceded made it clear that the party was over. 

Roger iced his knuckles as Jackie stitched a cut on his forehead. She wasn't afraid of the violence he had just displayed. The young woman had seen many bar fights in the past. Pete came over to make sure he was alright. "Ya didn't have to nearly kill the bastard," Pete laughed. Roger shrugged, "Ya gotta do what ya gotta do." They sat with each other, snickering.


	9. Summertime Blues

Hours after the party, Kit sat in his dark office, staring at his laptop screen. News of the fight had already broken out. He rubbed his bleary eyes as he read the 20th article on the subject. Everyone seemed to be conflicted, some people were siding with the boys, believing their side of the story. However, many dedicated Rolling Stones fans were already lambasting the radio station, encouraging Mick to press charges on their twitters. He sighed, "fucking Christ almighty." Chris let himself in, "You're destroying yourself over this. Stop it and just go to bed." Kit turned his laptop around to show him a particularly scalding article. Chris sighed, "Its not even a big deal. People get into fights at parties all the time." Kit took a bottle of wine that was on his desk and drank it straight from the bottle. "I know. But he's making this into a big deal and this whole operation is illegal. The Marine Broadcasting Offense Act is going to activate in one month." Chris ran his fingers through his hair, "fuck! I forgot about that. Okay, okay, well, we're gonna get through it. You get some rest, and I'll think of ways to fix it." Kit got up and put his hand on Chris's shoulder. "You're a life saver, you know that, Chris? An angel sent from heaven." He kissed Chris's cheek, leaving the younger man a blushing mess.

The next day was business as usual. Nobody mentioned the fight, afraid of what would happen if they dare mention it. "Next song is Mother's Little Helper by The Rolling Stones," Pete choked out. Scenes from the night before flashed in his mind and he tried to shake them away. Roger turned off the mic and told Pete to go take a break. He nodded, getting up and going to the cabin. Karen was sitting on his bed, waiting for his show to be over. She got up and went over to him, pushing his dark hair away from his king's blue eyes. "Wanna sit on the deck and get high," she asked him. He nodded. She led him to the deck and sat down. Pete sat down across from her. She pulled a baggie of weed out from her purse, rolling a joint for them both. "You deserve it," she told him. Pete smiled, reaching out and touching her soft hand. "You're too good of a girl, Karen Astley." Karen smiled and kissed his nose, "so are you, Peter Townshend." They sat for a while and smoked weed, talking about bullshit philosophies that only made sense to kids getting high. Finally, Karen asked him the million dollar question: "what actually happened between you and Mick when you were younger?" Pete winced before finally telling the story."

"He was really the only other guy interested in seeing other guys at the time. I knew because he passed me a note asking me to see a movie with him. He kissed my cheek that night. Anyway, he was my first real relationship. I had held hands and shit with girls in primary school, but this was kind of different. Mum had just given me the 'if you were gay that's okay' speech. I wanted to see if I was gay. I mean, I figured out that I was bi because of it. I digress. So, the first few months into a relationship were great. Puppy love. I was happy. But, I was also a horny 13 year old boy open to experimentation. I wanted a sexual relationship. He didn't want one, so I backed off. But that's when he started to change. He just seemed to get more possessive. Anytime I looked at a girl he would get angry with me. Accused me of just using him for an experiment or making fun of him for being into guys. It wasn't true! I really did like him. He also wanted to keep us a secret you know? I can understand it, he wasn't out yet, but he made me feel like he was ashamed to be around me. Finally, at the end of year 8, I told him how I felt. That's when he blew up. We had this huge fight and he punched me in the fucking face. I didn't see him face to face again until last night."

Karen was suddenly angry, "what the fuck?!" Pete sighed, "Karen, Karen dear calm down." She shook her head, "No! It was fucked up what he did! Next time I see him I'm gonna kick the shit out of him." Pete sighed and kissed her, "I love you, my girl."


	10. Another Tricky Day

The deadline for the Broadcasting Offenses Act was slowly closing in on our heroes aboard the SS Lambert. Kit hovered over his workers, ever the anxious queen bee. Production value was what he was most concerned about. The better the production was, the more people would subscribe, the more revenue they would get. Kit was now extremely concerned with money. At first he really did want the kids of the UK to get the music they so desperately wanted and needed. But now he needed to focus on the kids that worked for him. He thought of them as _his_ children. He purposefully kept information about the law away from them.  He knew he would go to jail for what he was doing, but the kids would all have to pay hefty fines that he knew they couldn't afford. If the station made enough money, he could pay all of their fines.

"That was Anarchy in the UK, by a new group called The Sex Pistols," Roger announced on the radio that afternoon. He dug them, they had the same devil may care attitude as him. He also vaguely remembered meeting the guitarist at the party. He put on a 13th Floor Elevators song and shut the mic off. He looked down at his phone. 2 MISSED CALLS FROM MA, the screen read. He sighed and dialed his mother's number:

"Hey mum."  
  
"Oh, Roger, darling, I've been worried sick about you! Are you taking your seasickness medicine?"

"Yeah, mum, I have been. How are you feeling?" His mother had a kidney condition that left her in a wheelchair.

"Better. I just took my medication, and Carol's cooking dinner."  
  
He smiled and sighed with relief, "I gotta go in a few minutes, the song is almost up. But I'll call you at the end of my shift."  
  
"That's okay, dear. Oh, and who's the bird you've been with. Your sisters are showing me pictures. What's her name? Jackie?"  
  
Roger blushed and said, "I'll talk to you later mum," before hanging up. Kit appeared in the doorway, instructing Roger to come to his office. Pete could do the rest of the show alone. "Did I do something wrong,"he asked once he was inside. Kit shook his head, "I just gotta talk to you, Roger." Roger sat across from him. Kit spoke up, "I'm not going to beat around the bush, Roger. We're very close to losing the station." Roger's eyes widened, "What?! Is it money?! I mean, we get subscribers every ten minutes!" Kit shook his head and showed him the newspaper. Roger's eyes widened. "Holy shit!" He started babbling about the money his family needed and how he was planning to get an apartment for himself and Jackie, and how he spent his whole life avoiding jail. Kit calmed him down, "We're going to keep doing it for as long as we can, I promise, you'll be taken care of. Don't tell the others." Roger sighed and went to have a smoke. He had a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next few are going to be filler but I'm building to a big ending


	11. I've Had Enough

While Roger was talking to Kit, Pete took over the controls in the DJ booth. He queued up the next few songs and went back to his work for art school. It was two portraits. One as the wild haired messiah that he had shown Karen before spring break. The other was a mod boy n his scooter. Pete was writing stories for the two of them. He had read about an artist named Henry Darger who had created a whole fantasy story about a group of girls called The Vivian Girls and their whole realm of the unreal. Even though people thought Darger was away with the fairies, Pete dug the idea. He wondered if he could combine his art with music somehow.

At six o'clock he had swapped with Keith and John. Karen was waiting for him in the cabin. sitting on his top bunk and swinging her legs. She was hunched over her laptop catching up on work. He stood in the doorway and smiled, watching. Karen finally sighed and pushed her laptop aside. "Tough day," Pete asked. Karen nodded, "these assignments are absolutely ridiculous." Pete wrapped his arms around her, "lets just fire up Netflix and watch a bullshit television show, yeah?" Karen smiled weakly, pulling her laptop onto her lap. They sat and watched episodes of Skins for about a half hour. That’s when Pete started to kiss his girl’s neck. Karen giggled and shivered, feeling the stubble on his chin rub against her tender skin. He peppered the side of her neck with kisses and gently bit it. As they started to take off their clothes, Arthur B appeared in the doorway. “Sorry for interrupting your lovemaking, but Kit wants to talk to Pete.” Pete sighed, put his pants back on and walked to Kit’s office.

 Kit was looking out a porthole when Pete came in. “If this is about how Jackie, Karen, and Kim stayed on the boat, they’ve been a great help. Not at all distracting,” Pere said. Kit turned around and gave him a sad, soft smile. “Its not them. They have been big helps with keeping this place running. But I’m not sure how long its going to keep running.” Pete looked at him, “why?” Kit sat at his desk and beckoned Pete to sit down. "Pete, have you heard of the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act?" Pete shook his head. "Well, I've been keeping those parts of the news from you all. I didn't want to worry you, and I didn't want anything to slow down. Well, here's whats going to happen. We're going to keep going until they shut us down, that was the plan as always. But what I'm concerned with is what happens after we shut down. Odds are I'm going to jail. If you all get good barristers, you'll probably only get fined. But I want this whole operation to make enough money so you can all pay those fines. Roger needs money for his family, John and Alison need a new home for them and their baby, and Keith just needs cash. You, well, I dunno what you'd do with your cash but I reckon you need cash too." 

Pete sat silently for a few minutes, processing the information he received. He balled up his fist, ready to strike Kit for keeping information like that from his employees, especially when they knew the risk they were taking. His next thought was to jump ship. Get out before the shit went down. He could continue Art college without a blemish on his record and forget about the whole thing. So that's what he decided to do. Pete made his way to the bunks and packed all of his things, instructing Karen to do the same. Without questioning, she did so, although she was confused as to why. They were making their way off the ship, when something caught Pete's eye. It was Roger, Keith, and John, along with Alison, Kim, and Jackie. They were in the mess hall, playing a game of poker. Pete couldn't leave without saying goodbye. He walked in. "H-Hey guys, I'm sorry but I've got to leave. Its been fun, really fun. But I can't do this anymore. Not with the whole Marine Offenses Act."

Roger sighed, got up, and socked him in the jaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been taking so long. Depression hit me hard and I'm dealing with a lot of college shit.


	12. How Many Friends

 

> Pete held his smarting jaw, “what the fuck?!” Roger looked at him, “Pete, when I met you, I thought you were a weirdo. But I never thought you were a fucking coward.” Keith and John looked on confused, having never been told by Kit what the MBOA was. “What the fuck is going on,” Keith asked. Roger and Pete explained the whole thing.
> 
> "You gotta be fucking kidding me," Keith screamed, slamming his fist on the table, "he kept it from us for months!" John was frozen, his face contorted in an expression of pure ire. They all stared at him, anticipating his reaction. He slowly got up from the table and marched to Kit's office. He slammed his large fists against the door, "Lambert! Lambert get out here before I kill ya!" It took Keith, Pete, and Roger to pry him away, along with help from Karen and Jackie. Chris timidly came out of the room. "Look, I get it, you're all mad. Kit's on the phone right now. We have a slight emergency." John grabbed Chris by the shirt, "well he's about to have another one!" Roger pulled him away. Chris smoothed his clothes out, “look, I dunno why you’re all reacting like this. You knew this was illegal going in.” Keith stepped forward, “yeah, but we thought it was one of those crimes that nobody really cares about, like double parking or smoking pot or something! We didn’t expect parliament to be breathing down our necks!” Chris opened his mouth to make a  rebuttal, but all he said was, “fair enough.”
> 
> Pete sighed, “Look, I can’t be involved in this anymore, if this has the potential to land a man in jail. Its been wonderful, really. You’ve all become good friends of mine. But this is where the line ends for me.” Roger shook his head, “you really are a coward. You used to talk about how what Kit was doing was brave and revolutionary all the time. How we were sticking it to the man. Now, we really are sticking it to the man! I’ll admit, I never cared about doing that before, I just wanted to feed my family. But now, I realize how important it is! And you wanna give that up! You’re a coward, and a hypocrite. You can leave if you want. Anyone else is free to leave too. But I suggest we stay to see this through.”
> 
> Karen stepped forward, “I’m gonna stay.”
> 
> Next was Kim and Jackie, “We’ll stay too.”
> 
> Then Alison, “It’ll be one hell of a story to tell the baby. I’m in.”
> 
> Keith smiled, “you’d think I’d leave this?”
> 
> John sat down, “if you’re all staying, I’ll do it too.” They all looked at Pete. “Fuck it, I’m in.”
> 
> They all sat down and thought about their options when Kit walked in. “Jagger turned us in.”


	13. They Are All in Love

Everyone turned to Pete, who was biting the inside of his lip. He wasn't surprised. Mick was petty, and if he didn't get what he wanted he was subject to tantrums. Roger pulled out his phone and started to scroll through twitter. "Fuck! They're already tweeting about this." Mick and the rest of his band were trying to make #takedownWRL go viral. Pete slammed his fist on the table, "I'll be right back." He went to the bunks to call Mick. He knew his ex could be petty and shallow, but he never thought Mick would stoop to destroying the radio station. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Because I didn't want to sleep with you?" He could hear Mick's smug smile as he spoke, "I told you I would ruin you." Before  Pete had the chance to say anything else, the bastard hung up on him. He through his phone down and sat in his bed. The feeling of helplessness began to grow in the pit of his stomach. He felt it start to consume him. He buried his face in his hands, trying to convince himself not to start crying. Pete felt someone sit in bed next to him, then he felt their soft skin brush up against him as they laid their head in his lap. He looked down to see Karen looking up at him, smiling sadly. She reached up and pushed his hair from his eyes. Pete leaned down and kissed her. "What are we going to do," she asked him. He hesitated before speaking, "we can't do anything. We're caught. Now we wait for them to come to us.” He took her up into his arms, and kissed her tenderly.

* * *

Carol Daltrey was crying on the phone, begging Roger for some explanation for what was going on. Roger had been sending his wages, things were going so well. Why did things have to go so sour? Roger shed a few tears as he listened to his little sister’s panicked breathing. “Its gonna be okay,” he promised, “I’m going to get a new job and we’re going to be alright. Quite  ~~~~ ~~~~alright. I love you. Give mum a hug for me.” He hung up, sighing. He watched as his friends frantically tried to decide how to solve this. “Its a boat,” Arthur B said, “can’t we just sail to somewhere else?” Kit shook his head, “Coast Guard will nab us.” Chris stepped up. “We’ll stay on the ship and see this out. This is our home and once those bastards come and get us, we’ll sure as shit fight for it!” And with that, he grabbed Kit by the collar and kissed him on the mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna end this soon. I wanna re-write it though because I love the idea I just don't think I executed it well.


	14. Amazing Journey

 Kit staggered back when Chris kissed him, but smiled anyway. The crew looked at him. “What are you staring at,” he asked them, “you heard the man. Stations people.” Lesley ran to the producers' board, Arthur B ran to man the ship, and our heroes ran into the studio to do their final broadcast. The four of them crammed themselves into the small room. Peter Gordon would of joined them, but the four had filled it up. Roger took the mic, and announced, "Ladies and gents, this will be our final and greatest broadcast!" Pete took it next, "The reason we're ending our months long engagement is because one of your beloved rock and roll bands turned out to be sucking the establishment's dick." John was  
next to send his message, "instead of being petty, we've decided to celebrate our last days as free men by playing the music we all love. No interruptions, no requests. Trust me, we're going to play what you wanna hear." Finally, Keith spoke, "and since we're capitalist bastards, remember to hold your groove together with Rotosound Strings!" They sat down in their chairs, and began to play songs. 

Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull eventually came on. They all bopped their heads to the beat. Pete pretended to conduct the piano part, standing tall and proud as he waved his finger in sync with the melody. When the drums started, Keith began a very intense air drum solo. Pete and John followed suit with air guitar and air bass respectively. Roger did a dramatic lip sync, his mouth's movements perfectly in line with Ian Anderson's words. This fake display soon turned into the four of them thrashing about and singing at the top of their lungs. "You know they can't slow down!" At the end of the song, they collapsed into giggles. Thank god the mic was off. The only person who heard them was Lesley, who watched them with a smirk. John lazily reached over to change the song.

"So, what are you all going to do now that this is over. I mean, once the courts settle down," Pete asked them.  John shrugged, "The baby's almost here, I gotta make money somehow, but I don't know who's gonna hire me. I guess I'll go work for my dad. I lost the apartment when I started working here, so I might just live with mum for a while." Keith thought aloud, clear that he had no idea what he was going to do, "I think I'll take Kim to America. I'm sure my parents don't wanna see me anymore." "I'm going back to art school, and I'm going to marry Karen. My folks have a vacation house in Brighton. We could live there." Roger bit the inside of his cheek, tears in his eyes. He had so much more to lose them. He tried to will himself to not cry, but a few tears ran down his pallid cheeks. Pete noticed, "hey, are you okay Roger?" Roger shook his head, "I don't know what I'm going to do. I've got mouths to feed. I have rent and bills to pay. My poor sister is worried sick. She's gonna drop out of school. She's fifteen years old for Christ's sake. I failed them." Pete put his hand on Roger's shoulder, "no you didn't. You spent months on a boat, sent the money to them. You paid the rent, paid the bills. You didn't fail them. And I think you'll fall back on your feet." Roger smiled, "we had a great run. I'm sorry your bastard of an ex had to ruin it for us." Pete shrugged, "we knew we had to end sometime." Keith spoke up, "why does he hate you so much? What happened between you?" Pete looked over to the mic to make sure it was off. "When we started dating, we both wanted to keep it a secret. It was kinda dangerous, when you're fourteen and going to an all boys school. Anyway, when we were out in public, we would act like we barely knew each other. When we were alone, we were all lovey dovey and shit. But either way, he was an arsehole. When we were alone, he tried to pressure me into stuff I wasn't ready for. When we were in public, I was a target for him and his gang of wankers. They'd beat the shit out of me on a daily basis. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and beat the shit out of him in front of everyone. A little after that, I was seeing an older boy named Danny. I still wasn't ready, so we didn't do anything, but he was nice. After he graduated, they started letting girls go to my school. I lost my virginity to a beautiful Irish girl, and dated this girl named Anya. Mick never forgave me, though." Keith's eyes widened, "holy shit." Pete laughed bitterly, "I know."

Kit and Chris stood at the bow of the ship, watching as smaller boats approached, but were still a far distance away. Kit took out binoculars. "Its the coast guard,"he said, "go tell the kids."  
  
When Roger saw Chris coming, he shut the music off, turned the mic on, and tried to get Peter Gordon in the room. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is the end of our last broadcast. Signing off for the last time, this has been Roger Daltrey...."

"Pete Townshend...."

"John Entwistle...."

"Keith Moon..."

"And Peter and Gordon." Roger took the mic back, "as always: be happy, be healthy, be rocky!" He switched the mic off. The crew made their way to the bow. Arthur B dropped the anchor and joined them. The smaller boats finally approached, filled with guardsmen and police officers. Roger and John let the little bridge down so the officers could get on. "You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defense if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence," the head officer said as he waved around his arrest warrant. With dignity, our heroes, their lovers, and the rest of the crew were arrested and brought on one of the small boats. They smiled proudly, watching the SS Lambert as the boats drove off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year. Like I said, I’m not happy at all with this, and when I get the chance I’m going to rewrite it. I was just focused on school and getting into college and working on my own book, that I didn’t have the oppurtunity I wanted to take time on this. Thanks for being on this crazy ride with me.

**Author's Note:**

> Trying out a new style of writing. Let me know if you like it.


End file.
